Island Treasures and a Tropical Explosion

Just because I’m from Hawaii doesn’t mean that when I go back it’s all beaches
and sunshine–I work hard, too.

But who am I kidding, it’s mostly beaches and sunshine. 🙂

Magical Mokuluas 53×24, watercolor, ink and wax on paper

On my last trip, I stopped by Island Treasures Art Gallery like I always do because, let’s face it, it’s an amazing place filled with authentic local art. Those of you who have been there know what I’m talking about!

The difference this time is that I met with the owner and showed her photographs of my wax scrolls to see if she’d be interested in carrying them. I barely got to the second image before she said yes, so I’m excited to announce that I’m now represented by a gallery in my hometown of Kailua!

This is been a goal for me for a long time but I’ve never tried because shipping is so expensive between Hawaii and the mainland. The scrolls give me a way to bridge that gap because they can be rolled up in a tube which means people can purchase them and take them anywhere.

The gallery also asked me to create a scroll featuring the iconic Mokulua islands just off of Lanikai beach where I spend much of my time when I’m home. That was a fun challenge and one of the most specific compositions I’ve done with the scrolls. I bumped up the vibrant colors for them–if there were a scale I think it would read tropical explosion!

If you find yourself on Oahu, I hope you’ll stop by and see my newest work:

Island Treasures Art Gallery
602 Kailua Rd
Kailua, HI

If you’d like to learn how to make these scrolls yourself, check out my online scrolls class where I’ll take you through the materials and techniques plus you can watch me make a 5 foot long scroll from start to finish!

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Linda Robertson is the author of the Embracing Encaustic Book series and she offers live encaustic workshops in her Portland, Oregon studio as well as online encaustic classes.

 

New Colors from R&F Paints

There are so many great color choices for encaustic supplies, but I’m still glad for more!

New colors from R&F Handmade Paints will soon be on the way with 4 new encaustic colors, 12 new Pigment Sticks colors. I’ve already got a few, including fabulous Turkey Red, and I’m thrilled with the new selections.

Not quite as sexy as new colors but very cool for those who use it, blending sticks will soon be available in jars! These new Blending Mediums will offer even more versatility in working with R&F Pigment Sticks.

They are printing new color charts now, so if you need an updated chart just let them know by emailing info@rfpaints.com with your address. They’ve promised to get a new chart to you as soon as they have them. Happy painting!

 

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Linda Robertson is the author of the Embracing Encaustic Book series and she offers live encaustic workshops in her Portland, Oregon studio as well as online encaustic classes.

My Most Popular Class in Now Online!

No doubt, this one has been a long time coming.

I’m excited to announce that my most requested class is finally available online — Colorful Wax Scrolls! I’m really proud of this one and so excited to share these techniques with you.

You don’t need any special skills to take this class so it’s a great option if you haven’t had much creative time recently. I’ll show you step-by-step how to create your own paper and wax panels that are thin enough for natural light to penetrate, filling your space with energy and movement. We’ll add color with a variety of materials both before and after we wax, and I’ll show you a few easy and elegant ways to display them.

This one was tricky. Unlike the other classes

Gathering Strength

Gathering Strength, 14″ x 48″ mixed media and encaustic, SOLD

I’m pleased to share the news this week that my painting Gathering Strength, will be going to a new home soon.

My fabulous art broker found just the right place for it with some savvy seniors in Portland, Oregon. The current restoration and preservation of their apartment building on Hawthorne includes artwork that reflects the community and will afford the tenants a serene and welcoming atmosphere to call home.

This painting is a personal favorite of mine and came out of my bedroom to go to its final home!
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Linda Robertson is the author of the Embracing Encaustic Book series and she offers live encaustic workshops in her Portland, Oregon studio as well as online encaustic classes.

Experience Fire On The Water

Click image to see Fire on the Water on Oregon Art Beat

This year’s fabulous Fire on the Water Dragon Boat Show is happening now and runs through August 30!

This sanctioned Rose Festival event was curated by Alea Bone and features over 80 Portland artists. The show has already received great coverage including a segment on OPB’s Oregon Art Beat and a great article in the Portland Tribune:  The Art of Dragon Boating.

See the show at:
Portland’5 Centers for the Arts
1111 SW Broadway, Portland, OR
Show runs through August 30

My work in the show is a scroll:

The Power of Many
watercolor and wax on paper
44 1/2 x 24 inches, $350

More about the show:

Fire on the Water is a unique group art show inspired by the rich tradition of dragon boating in Portland.

Over 80 artists have created work inspired by the Rose Festival dragon boats. This show is a stunning collection of artistic interpretations by both well known and emerging artists.

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Linda Robertson is the author of the Embracing Encaustic Book series and she offers live encaustic workshops in her Portland, Oregon studio as well as online encaustic classes.

 

Why Come to Wax Week?

If you’re tired of getting lost in the crowd at encaustic camps and conferences, my Wax Week class in beautiful Portland, Oregon may be just what you’re looking for! I only accept 6 students per session and only run 3 – 4 sessions a year. Each class has a theme, like my next one on Mixing Media, but within those guidelines we can explore each artists individual preferences and ideas.

Check out some of the beautiful work that has been created in my recent Wax Week workshops! Aside from making great art and learning new techniques, you’ll make lifelong friends as well. In my last session half the group was made up of artists who met in a class last year and stayed in touch. They decided they wanted to get back together right away so they took another Wax Week class from me this year. I also had a great group last summer made up of friends from different states and countries who travel to art events together regularly, so they booked a private Wax Week session focusing on the techniques they were most interested in. We had a blast!

If you missed this session there are a few seats still available in my mixed media focused sessions in June and October 2016: http://lindarobertsonarts.com/books//workshops/

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Linda Robertson is the author of the Embracing Encaustic Book series and she offers live encaustic workshops in her Portland, Oregon studio as well as online encaustic classes.

The Gift Was Ours To Borrow

It is with much reluctance and regret that I share the news that the four galleries on the 3rd Floor of Pioneer Place will be closing at the end of April. Due to future development of the spaces by investors, we are unable to continue our lease. The mall has generously made possible the presence of the galleries over these many years and all of the galleries have greatly appreciated the opportunity.

Detail of a new wax scroll, Letting Go.

The AIR Gallery will be closed for the rest of the week while we prepare our next brief and bittersweet show. All of the Pioneer Place galleries will host a celebration on April 16, 5 – 8 p.m. We will be opening that evening with the last of our shows, Alchemy, the gallery’s tribute to the process of transition. In addition to AIR Gallery partners Jo Grishman, Theresa Andreas-O’Leary, Linda Robertson, Suzanne Vaughan, and Fred Swan, we will feature works by Joseph Clifford Blanchette, Samyak Yamauchi and Leslie Wood Kamman. The show will run through closing day on April 28.

Here’s a link to the Facebook invitation: https://www.facebook.com/events/1699264547020805/

We all owe a huge debt of gratitude to Chris Haberman, Mark Woolley, Jason Brown, and especially our own AIR Gallery Director Fred Swan, plus so many others involved in bringing these unique spaces into our community. We are all greater for having come together for the love of art, and I know this community will continue to thrive as we move forward.

Please come and help us celebrate the wonderful and creative opportunity the galleries have given us and to embrace each other and the many friendships and artistic paths the environment have nurtured over the years.

“The gift was ours to borrow…”

Many thanks for your support!

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Linda Robertson is the author of the Embracing Encaustic Book series and she offers live encaustic workshops in her Portland, Oregon studio as well as online encaustic classes.

Spring is in the AIR

Moments of Surrender, 12 x 28 in., encaustic and mixed media

If you missed the big opening of our “Spring is in the AIR” show please stop by soon to see the AIR Gallery filled with light and color! I’ll be showing several new encaustic paintings including the one shown above.

Spring Is In the AIR
AIR Gallery at Pioneer Place
700 SW Fifth (3rd floor), Portland, OR
Show runs through April 10
Thurs. – Sun, 12 – 6

Come see the new photographs on our friends chandelier and view brand new work from the partners of the AIR Gallery: Jo Grishman, Theresa Andreas O’Leary, Linda Robertson, Fred Swan, Suzanne Vaughn, and guest artist Leslie Wood Kamman. I hope to see you there!

The birds seem to be in on the joke here while frolicking under my painting, Scattering the Seeds.

Time for a Fresh Art Start

Seeing Without Knowing, 21″ x 31″ framed, encaustic

I was delivering some work the other day and saw the name Womack on the back of a panel and realized how much I still love those paintings, but definitely not my old name. That got me thinking…I already have a fresh start in the rest of my life so why not on my art panels as well? Then I realized the new year is the perfect time to celebrate a #FreshArtStart!

Rise Against the Wind, 12″ x 28″, SOLD

That’s good news for you because I’ve decided to sell selected paintings that are signed under my former name at a big discount during my upcoming show at the AIR gallery in Oregon. The show runs through February 14 so visit soon to claim the painting you’ve had your eye on. The sale ends on leap day, February 29, 2016. Appropriate, don’t you think?

Our Warm Up the Winter event will be my first show at the reimagined AIR Gallery with Fred Swan as our Director and my fellow artists in residence Suzanne Vaughn, Theresa Andrea O’Leary, and Jo Grishman. For those of you who know Fred, you’ll know how lucky we are to have him in charge. AIR Gallery, Pioneer Place, 700 SW Fifth (3rd floor), Portland, Oregon. Open Thursday – Sunday from 12 – 6 pm.

I will sign the back of all #FreshArtStart paintings with my beautiful original name, Linda Robertson, before they go out the door. Count on it.

What Cannot Be Torn Away, 12″ x 28″, encaustic. SOLD

As Souls Blend (diptych), encaustic, 11 x 28. SOLD

Songs Never Cease, 48″ x 36″, encaustic

What do you want to remember about 2016?

The New Year is upon us which always comes as quite a shock to me. It seems like just yesterday I was ringing in the new year with my neighbors, watching fireworks and banging on pots and pans (I know, #oldschool). I decided to shake things up last night by dancing in the new year at a Bollywood dance party!

Like many of you, I’ve looked back and celebrated my 2015 highlights, feeling proud of my accomplishments. Among them I had three big art events in Seattle and Portland, launched two new books in my Embracing Encaustic series, went on several short trips with friends and family, and taught four sold out sessions of my 5-day Wax Week workshops to artists from 4 countries and all across the US and Canada.

Installing my work at the AIR Gallery in Portland, Oregon with fellow artists Kelly Williams and Karl Kaiser.

I am also conscious of a few disappointments, including not getting back to home to see my family last year and missing two major art retrospectives that I was really excited about. Why? Because I was too busy. Because I didn’t make a good enough plan to get there. Because I was going with the flow.

In that respect I want 2016 to be very different. I’m going to take time early in the year to plan what I want to do and a reasonable way to make it happen.

Don’t get me wrong, going with the flow is sometimes exactly what you need and sometimes simply all you can possibly do, but it does allow time to slip away, quietly and steadily. But I feel like it’s time for a shift. Don’t you? So today I challenge you not to look back, but to look forward.

What do you want to remember about 2016 and how can you make that happen?

Whatever it is, if it happens on a certain date then get it on your calendar NOW. If it can happen any time, pick a date and honor it. What steps will it take to get you there? Can you do any of them this week? It would be a great start to your new year!

Me? I just booked my trip to Hawaii to see my family and I am finalizing my plans for teaching in New York again this fall.

I’ve already shared some of these exciting projects in my last newsletter, and I’ll be revealing some new classes in my next one so if we aren’t connected yet be sure to join my mailing list for all the updates. I wish you all a very happy new year!

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Linda Robertson is the author of the Embracing Encaustic Book series and she offers live encaustic workshops in her Portland, Oregon studio as well as online encaustic classes.

Enjoying the Fresh AIR (Gallery)

Artists of the AIR Gallery (L-R): Fred Swan (our fearless leader and curator), Linda Robertson, Theresa Andreas-O’leary, Suzanne Vaughan, and Jo Grishman

Leslie shared her inspiration for her latest encaustic painting

Starting this January I’ll join four other artists as a partner in the Artist in Residence (AIR) Gallery in Portland, Oregon. How’s that for a great start to the new year? Our little band of artists will work together – with the addition of a special guest artist every two months – to contribute a new and creative voice to the galleries at Pioneer Place.

We envision the AIR Gallery to be an evolving arts destination where a variety of events will be held. We currently have meetups, classes, demonstrations, poetry readings and book launches already in the works for 2016! I also plan to host a monthly meet up of artists working in encaustic so we can see what everyone is up to. I held a trail run of that idea last month and it was a great success so join my mailing list or follow me on Facebook to keep up with the dates

Mark your calendars now for our regular openings on the third Saturday of every month from 5 to 9 pm, when you can visit all of the galleries on the top floor of Pioneer Place at the same time! Pioneer Place, 700 SW 5th Ave., Portland, Oregon. Check out the AIR Gallery Facebook page for photos from recent shows and openings. Our web site will be up and running soon.

The AIR Gallery offers elegant meeting space for many types of arts events.

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Linda Robertson is the author of the Embracing Encaustic Book series and she offers live encaustic workshops in her Portland, Oregon studio as well as online encaustic classes.

Great Griddles for Encaustic Painting

I’ve taught encaustic workshops for many years using pancake griddles as the hot palettes, so I’ve become pretty opinionated about the type I like. I have a wonderful R&F Paints heated palette which I love, but since most students won’t be able to get that right away I like to teach with what they’re likely to have at home.

My favorite griddle brands are Rival and Presto because they last for years and offer fairly even heat which is important when painting with wax. I was almost tempted this time by another brand offering a white ceramic surface which would be great for mixing colors, but the reviews were not terrific, specifically mentioning uneven heat. So off I went to get my new griddles. It was a pretty funny trip because you get some strange looks at the store when you buy pancake griddles in bulk!

I was disappointed not to find the type I love but then I realized I had stumbled upon something even better: a square griddle (easier to reach everything if you’re shorter like me or can’t stand while you paint) with a tiny drainage area (which keeps any wax you’re mixing on the palette from falling into the drain) and a warming tray attachment that can be removed and replaced with a wooden dowel to create a handy paintbrush holder.

I’ve just replaced all of my griddles with this style for my upcoming classes, so I’m excited to try them out!

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Linda Robertson is the author of the Embracing Encaustic Book series and she offers live encaustic workshops in her Portland, Oregon studio as well as online encaustic classes.

Wax Week Wrapup: Art, Fun & Friendship

Art by Margo

Every year I hear from students who want to take my encaustic workshops but either live too far away to fly in for just one or two days or prefer a more immersive environment where they can learn many techniques in a short time.

With this in mind I offer 5-day intensive workshops called Wax Week, that combine some of my most popular classes with some brand new techniques that will keep you creating new work for years to come.

It was such a busy summer that I didn’t have time to share photos of my two Wax Week classes in July. These sessions included artists from 3 countries and 7 different states, which is the most diverse crowd I’ve ever had!

You’ll see from the photographs below that we not only had fun, but everyone made terrific art as well. During these classes life-long friendships are often formed, with friends meeting up again and again as they find new classes to conquer together. I hope you’ll join our Wax Week family soon!

Find out more about my workshops in Portland Oregon here!

Margo and Sharon working outside and Betti’s finished photo collage

Lunch under the trees with Stephanie, Betti and Micki

Rebecca’s dragonfly collage and Kathleen and Micki work on pouring techniques.

Fara’s photo collage

One of our Wax Week family dinners!

Mixed media painting by Debra and just a few of the pieces made during one 5-day class!

Pam working on her story box

Dinner out with the girls: Linda, Margo, Tif and me

Sometimes we visit with my local artist friends, like this trip to see Karl Kaiser’s studio

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Linda Robertson is the author of the Embracing Encaustic Book series and she offers live encaustic workshops in her Portland, Oregon studio as well as online encaustic classes.

New Work at NW Encaustic in Seattle

Seeds of Things to Come, encaustic and mixed media, 11 x 14 in., by Linda Robertson

Northwest Encaustic is hosting a one person show of my work in their Seattle studio and gallery from July 9 – August 13, 2015. The openings are on July 9 and August 13, from 6 – 9 pm. I WILL BE IN SEATTLE FOR THE CLOSING PARTY ON AUGUST 13, so if you’re in the area I hope you’ll come by to say hello!

The studio/gallery is located in “The Building,” behind the Morgan Street Junction which houses artists from diverse disciplines and backgrounds. Explore all three floors during the West Seattle Art Walk on the second Thursday of each month.

Shaun Doll, expertly hanging my work for the show!

New Book! Embracing Encaustic: Mixing Media

I’m thrilled to announce that the second book in my Embracing Encaustic series is now available! Embracing Encaustic: Mixing Media, the second book in the series, builds on the basic techniques illustrated in my first book, Embracing Encaustic: Learning to Paint with Beeswax.

Today artists are pushing encaustic painting in new directions by working with all kinds of different media, below, above and within their wax, and this book celebrates that. You’ll find step-by-step instructions on working with oil sticks, burning shellac, creating encaustic monotypes, drawing on wax with graphite and artists’ crayons, using stencils with encaustic and other media, and pouring wax.

The Inspiration Gallery will introduce you to the work of 36 artists and serve as a springboard for you to find your own unique way of working with this exciting medium.

Find out more about both of my eBooks or purchase them here.

No Kindle? No problem! Here’s a blog post on how easy it is to read an eBook on your tablet, PC, Mac or smart phone.